Till my last breath
by Not So Cliche
Summary: Soulmate AU. 'Their tattoos were glowing a bright golden. They were soul mates! Four abruptly stands, walking away the tattoo on his hand still glowing brightly into the distance.' **Slow burn**
1. A new city

**Hey everyone! This is my first divergent story. I really like soulmate AUs but don't find a lot of them, so I wrote my own. Please R&R. I will upload a new chapter within this week.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**A new city**

The first time she heard of soul mates, Tris was ten. That was the customary age at which every parent told their children about this life-changing thing. Of course she had seen people meet their soul mates even before she knew what it was, she was mesmerized to see the glowing tattoos that magically form when soul mates met and the happiness reflected in the faces of the soul mates. Her parents explained to her how about a hundred years before she was born the scientist discovered a special gene that allowed people to find their true love, the person who understands them the most and that when they first touch a tattoo is formed that marks both of them as soul mates.

Since then Tris had always been excited at the prospect at meeting her soul mate, even though they were rare now. She wished each day since the first time she learned about soul mates that she meet hers. It was understandable, because she grew up in a house with the love soul mates shared. Her parents were soul mates and met each other when they were in high school in their freshman year and have been together since. Back then having soul mates was more common, however scientist discovered that soul mate pairings are declining because of different mutations in genes with each passing generation. Natalie and Andrew, Tris' parents were people whose love conquered all and Tris wished the same for herself when she entered the new city, Chicago with her two best friends at her side.

Christina, a pretty dark skinned girl with beautiful chin length hair was a total weirdo who she had been roommates with for the past 4 years in their college. Uriah was one of her classmates in college and they ended up being great friends. Both Christina and Tris were offered amazing jobs in Chicago, though Uriah was returning home to live with his mom after college. Tris was excited and a little nervous at the prospect of going to a new city.

The three excitedly chatted as they got down from the long flight and picked up their luggage at the baggage claim. Uriah talked about being able to see his mom and brother after almost a year since the last time he visited them for the holidays. He let the two girls go to their new shared apartment and unpack but invited them over for dinner at his mom's. The two agreed excited to meet Uriah's mom and brother for the first time and also to have some good home cooked food after a long journey.


	2. Zeke's best friend

**Thank you everyone who followed and/or reviewed my story. This is more than what I thought of. This is the chapter when Tris first meets Four so I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**Zeke's best friend**

After reaching their apartment Tris and Christiana started immediately unpacking the more important things and both took a quick nap to relieve some of the exhaustion from their journey.

Christiana had woken Tris up from her nap at four o'clock about three hours before the two had to go to Uriah's house. Tris grumbled for a bit about Christiana never letting her sleep but grudgingly got up and got ready in the dress Christiana picked out for her. It was a simple sleeveless black A-line dress that reached up to mid-thigh and she paired it with black flats and light make up. Christiana had dressed in a cute halter top burgundy colored dress with matching flats too and gave some natural-looking curls to her short hair. After they were both ready, they went to the nearby bakery and picked a small cake for desert and then went to Uriah's.

Upon reaching the two were immediately greeted by a middle aged woman with bright eyes like Uriah's. She hugs the two girls and introduces herself as Hana to them and says that she is pleased to meet the two. She tells them to make themselves at home and talk to Uriah while she sets the table. Uriah tells them that they are being joined by his brother, brother's girlfriend and their best friend too. They talk for some time when the bell rings.

Hana goes to open the door and welcomes three people in the room who seem to be the ones Uriah mentioned coming before. The first person Tris sees is a splitting image of Uriah except for his darker olive skin and a leaner frame. He has the same smile and the same eyes as Uriah too, and he introduces himself as Zeke, Uriah's older, more handsome-looking and stronger brother. At which Uriah protests and then Zeke presses Uriah in a headlock jokingly. Tris notices that Zeke is a lot like Uriah- a fun and outgoing person which is what made her become friends with Uriah in the first place.

The person standing next to Zeke smiles adoringly at the two brothers- almost looking used to what the two are doing while Hana separates them. She introduces herself as Shauna, Zeke's girlfriend. Shauna is a pretty brunette with kind eyes and a welcoming personality but also looks like the person who would not hesitate to chop off someone's head if she is provoked.

The last person through the doorway is a tall man who stands stiffly and seeming coldly but is a very handsome with a spare upper lip and a full lower lip and a hooked nose and almost elfish ears that stick out. But his most prominent feature are his eyes, his eyes are so blue it looks like you could get lost in them much like the ocean's depth and they seem to holding pain and secrets you can only see through his eyes. Tris is instantly intrigued by this man who is Zeke's best friend.

Introductions are made and Tris learns that Zeke's friend's name is Four, and this unusual name makes her just as intrigued by this man as his eyes did.


	3. My soulmate?

**Thank you for all the reads and reviews everyone. i am not going to be abandoning this story, I have a lot planned for this one. Also I am sorry this is a short chapter but I will update more often now onward. Please read and review.**

My soul mate?

After introductions are made everyone sits down to have dinner but Tris cannot take her eyes of Four. The man looks about two or three years older than her, he had not spoken a word to Tris yet except to say hi in a deep, sexy voice which made Tris' insides flutter and her cheeks to color. Four was seated next to Tris on the table with Zeke across him, who sat next to Shauna with Hana next to her and then Uriah, followed by Christina who sat right next to Tris. Everyone enjoyed their food while talking about jobs and family. Tris noticed that Four was quiet throughout the conversation quietly enjoying his food and listening to everyone's conversations. Every time Tris looked up to Four she saw his eyes already on her. Christina kept nudging her side and wiggling eyebrows when she saw Tris staring for too long.

Tris and Christina had a good time with Uriah's friends and family. Tris immediately hit it off with Shauna considering how alike the two girls were. Zeke much like his brother was the center of attention all night cracking jokes and telling embarrassing stories to Tris and Christina about Uriah who retaliated with some of his own about Zeke. Hana seemed to be the one along with Four sometimes, who was able to reel in both Zeke and Uriah when they got too much out of hand with just a look. It seemed that Four was very close to the Pedrads because he seemed to be in most of the stories they spoke of and he seemed like a good friend and Hana thought of him like a son as well.

The dinner was delicious and every one thanked Hana for it. When it was time for dessert both Four and Tris went to pick up the plate in front of them at the same time and Tris felt a spark on her hand where he had touched her. Her hand was tingling with the sparks of energy she got when Four touched her and the spot was glowing a bright golden. Christina was the first one who spoke saying, "Well this makes my job easier-" but before she could complete her thought of getting Four and Tris together Four whispered a low "No" that Tris was not even sure if he really said it and stood up with the chair screeching loudly as it skid across the floor. Tris was just left staring at the man who was her soul mate, trying to process everything that happened as both Zeke and Shauna followed Four out the door, his tattoo still glowing a bright golden as he ran off into the distance.


	4. Insecurities

**Hey! Thanks for all the reviews and favs and follows. I was not really satisfied with last chapter so I updated it. Hope you enjoy this one. Also I am going to write in Tris' Pov from now on except for one or two chapters near the end. **

**Tris POV**

From the time Four ran off during the dinner all I can think of is that we are soul mates but the resounding _no _is not leaving my mind. I always wanted that didn't I? I wanted to have a soul mate, a love as true as the one my parents share. I was ecstatic from the moment the tattoo formed and glowed on my skin and on his but my every hope, every dream about my soul mate I ever had went down the drain when I saw the panicked look on Four's face seeing me as his soul mate.

I question myself thinking _'Am I really that bad that Four does not want me as a soul mate? That he walked off before he even got the chance to know me? Or does he have someone else already, a girlfriend, a wife? Did he not feel the instant connection as I did with him?' _And that is when I realize that of course Four would not want me as a soul mate. I am nothing special just a petty little girl who is not even pretty and has a body of a fourteen year old.

I see the shocked look on Hana's face but also a look of understanding. I turn to see Christiana and Uriah both staring after the door with the same shocked expression and then Christiana glances at me with a look of pity and tells me that we should head back to the apartment. I don't talk and look down, not wanting the pity Christiana's gaze holds but also taking the time to process everything that just happened. Uriah offers to drive the two of us back and we silently climb into the back seat of the car and drive back home. Both Christiana and Uriah look like they want to talk to me but they don't and I am grateful for that.

When we reach the apartment building, I get out of the car and start to walk to the elevator just wanting to get to bed after this eventful day but Uriah's arm stops me. Christiana looks at Uriah and then tells me that she will be waiting for me upstairs. After Christiana leaves, Uriah starts talking.

"You know I have known Four for a long time now-", but I cut him off before he can make me feel worse about this situation, "Uriah stop."

I started walking away from him before he could think to respond. I walked straight to the elevator ignoring the doorman, Gregory, greeting me and pressed the button for my floor not listening to a word Uriah was trying to say to me after he chased me all the way to the lobby and I let the elevator door shut before he could even try to enter. I walked in the apartment I shared with Christina not bothering to look at my roommate's face knowing it would be nothing but pitiful and just went straight to my room and closed its door, starting to unpack the rest of my luggage and put them in its right place.

I hear a banging at the door, and hear Christina call out in a voice that is both annoyed and amused, "Let me in or come out of there Tris, we need to talk."

I fall down on my bed putting my face on the pillow and say "no" but it comes out muffled. Christina does not stop knocking and tells me that we need to talk it out. Annoyed at the constant knocking and yelling from the other side of the door I open it reluctantly and let Uriah and Christina in and going to my suitcase to take out the other clothes and start putting them in my closet. I would not have done this until tomorrow if everything had gone well and Christina knows that I need a distraction and that is why I am doing this so she says, "she is throwing a tantrum" to Uriah.

"I can hear you Christina, and stop with the pity face both of you."

"Well how are you feeling Tris?" Christina asks me and all I can do is shrug because she knows that I wanted the kind of love my parents had but the gene is so rare now, only 10% chance of it being passed down that I had made my mind that even if I do not find my soul mate I will live happily.

"I don't know" I say honestly at last because that's true. I am confused mostly I decide because I have read all those novels and seen those movies about soul mates and what just happened seemed like a scene straight from one of those and its overwhelming. Do I want a soul mate? Hell yeah, its pretty cool about how the numbers add up and that it was almost impossible for the two of us to meet in our lifetime but we still did. But I had been prepared to live my life the normal way and fall in love like that too. Four… well, I liked him and seem to have a connection with him but I had only just met him and was not ready to get into a relationship with someone I barely knew, especially when he seemed dead set to be the mysterious type and didn't look particularly happy to have her as a soul mate, revolted actually being the word I was looking for.

He just fled from the Pedrad house never looking back and honestly I was a bit surprised by how much it hurt. It felt like a blow to my already low confidence about myself but I shook my head and tried to put myself in his shoes and understood that he may not be ready to be in a relationship with someone he only met today and barely spoke a few words to just because the universe has decided that I am meant to be with him.

But feelings of frustration aside and underneath all that hurt and confusion I feel elated because I have a soul mate.

"Nice tattoo by the way" says Uriah and I look down to the thing on my hand that it the root of all of this.

"Did it hurt when you got it?"

"No," I say, annoyed.

Christina pauses and says "It was a real shock" and I mutter that her commentary didn't make it any better.

"He freaked out because you were all up his business-"I say but Uriah interrupts and says "No, that was not why he freaked out. It was because his parents were soul mates but their bond faded away and his mother died because of it."

It is silent for a while and then Uriah speaks again and says "he does not share much about his life to anyone and I would prefer it that you keep it that way. And Tris please give him some time to think about all of this."

**Can anyone suggest a name for this chapter?**


	5. Time

**Thank you for all the support everyone. I have decided that I will upload this story every week on Tuesday so stay tuned to see future chapters. Here's the new chapter. Please review, I love to read what you think or my story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent trilogy or any characters mentioned here.**

It's been a month since I have been in Chicago and it has been a crazy experience for me. I love the job I have in the company Abnegation Industries and am pleased to say I have really nice colleagues. Living with Christina is not foreign to me although she is not keeping me as much company nowadays being way too captivated with her new boyfriend Will who she met at a coffee shop in our neighborhood. I have to say I was surprised when I first met Will though because he was nothing like the usual boyfriend for Christina, he is actually an introvert who would rather read a book than talk about himself which is totally the opposite of Christina but I guess it makes sense because opposites attract. Uriah's pretty hard to find too these days because he seems just as fascinated by Marlene, Shauna's sister Lynn's best friend as Christina is with Will. I find it really weird considering how Uriah was always a real charmer in college but ever since he laid his eyes on Marlene he has been a stuttering mess and is actively pursuing her so that she agrees on a date. I have been finding myself becoming closer to Marlene, Lynn, Shauna, Zeke and Will over the past month.

Ever since that incident at Hana's house I have been avoiding Four trying to give him the space he needs to sort out his feelings on this matter. It's been one month since that soul mate incident and literally on the first day of the next month I try to actively seek him out trying to talk to him. I get the perfect opportunity when I see him in Café Divergent sipping his coffee and working on some of his blueprints and on his laptop but as soon as he sees me he shuts his laptop down, takes all his blueprints and literally runs out of the café, and my short legs cannot keep up with his long sprints. That is when I realize that it isn't just me who has been avoiding him because he has been avoiding me too the entire past month. We have a lot of the same friends and live in the same neighborhood (Zeke told me) and go to the same gym (Dauntless gym, the one where Shauna is the manager) so there is no way we would not have met in the past month.

So I keep trying but it has been two weeks now and Christina seems to be working all the time on some big fashion project her company has and I barely see her, Uriah's out of town for a big company meeting and Four has been avoiding me like the plague, and I am just so lonely so done with it all.

I do the next best thing and ask Zeke casually one day, "Have you seen four around?"

"He has been busy with some big project that he is leading and I rarely see him these days", he says a little too quickly and I know he is lying. I pointedly glare at him indicating I caught onto his lie.

"Okay! Sorry but yeah I tried talking to him on this but he is pretty stubborn and I can't do anything about it."

"I left him alone like Uriah told me to."

"Yeah so go talk to him if you want then."

"How should I when all your best friend wants is to play this one-sided hide-and-seek game and runs out whenever I go to talk to him."

Zeke stays silent and then shrugs saying "I really want the both of you to sort out this problem but I can't interfere here."

I leave him alone saying that maybe I just have to try walking around my neighborhood hoping I bump into Four again but Zeke says, "He is coming around my apartment today later maybe you can catch him on his way out."


	6. Confrontation

**Hello people! Sorry if this is a bit later than expected, I had an exam today so I got late at uploading this chapter. Please let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent, Veronica Roth does.**

**Confrontation**

I see Four leave Zeke and Shauna's apartment just as I climb up the stairs and I silently thank Zeke for informing me about his arrival and then make myself visible and say "hi".

Four just about jumps out of his skin when he hears me being so startled but I stay calm and just say that I need to talk to him.

"I-I have to go, I've got a thing…. It's urgent" he looks like he wants out of here and not because he actually has some work or he has to be somewhere.

"So is the thing I want to talk to you about, it will take five minutes max" I say crossing my arms in front of me.

He looks like he wants he will argue but he should also I won't leave until I talk to him and maybe that's what gets him to finally nod.

I try to say something, anything about how I understand that he has bad experiences with this soul mate stuff but I cannot get anything out except for "You 're being selfish."

I immediately want to talk it back now because that is not what I was supposed to say and Four looks like I slapped him on the face because he just stands there not saying anything just looking hurt, but I also know that it is the truth.

"I get it that you had a shitty experience with soul mates and that you are scared but that does not mean you can go on avoiding me. And no Uriah or anyone else didn't tell me the entire thing, just that you do not believe in soul mates" lying about the fact that I do not know that Uriah told me that his parents have a broken soul bond and his mother died.

He still has a poker face on but under this hallway light I can see his eyes and he looks as if he is remembering something painful and sad. I tear my eyes away from his knowing that if I look into his eyes I won't be able to say what I want to.

I don't wait for him to respond, "You know it isn't just you to who this all is new. Did you ever think that maybe even I am new to this all? That I never expected to get a soul mate at all and was ready to live my life the normal way. And just because you popped up one day does not mean that I will ask you to marry me that instant, you are a stranger to me after all. I know literally nothing about you."

And before he can even open his mouth I walk out of the building, not waiting to hear his reply.

**Please review.**


	7. Confrontation (Part-II)

**Hello there! Surprise! I know today is not a Tuesday but I decided to deliver a surprise chapter today. Don't worry I am still posting a chapter on Tuesday so stay tuned for it. Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter. I decided to include the POV I mentioned here because I didn't think it would be fair to the guest reviewers so here it is. **

**Also I have heard a few concerns for the length of my chapters and I am sorry I can't really help it because I stop the chapter where I deem it to flow cohesively with the rest of the story but also where it still keeps up the suspense for what will happen next.**

**The confrontation-2**

Four's POV

"You are being selfish" I am pretty sure Tris did not mean to say it that way but I am suddenly reminded of when Marcus used to say the same thing to me before. I am hurt because here an actual stranger is saying something but it probably rings true.

"I get it that you had a shitty experience with soul mates and that you are scared but that does not mean you can go on avoiding me. And no Uriah or anyone else didn't tell me the entire thing, just that you do not believe in soul mates" I know she is lying. Zeke told me a few days ago that Uriah told Tris that my mother died because of the soul bond, she does not know the whole story but that she is giving me time to talk to her when I am ready. I don't think I am ready, I really don't think I will ever be, my mom's death affected me more than I thought.

She looks at me, like really looks at me and I try my best to maintain a poker face. It is a little unnerving to stand under her gaze because she looks like she sees straight through me. That she sees through the mask I wear every day. She tears her eyes away from me and continues.

"You know it isn't just you to who this all is new. Did you ever think that maybe even I am new to this all? That I never expected to get a soul mate at all and was ready to live my life the normal way. And just because you popped up one day does not mean that I will ask you to marry me that instant, you are a stranger to me after all. I know literally nothing about you" I instantly feel disappointed because I never thought how it must be for her. To find someone people search for years so easily but then that person runs away? I hate that I didn't explain myself before and that I didn't even give her a chance. She runs down the stairs before I can even form a word. I want to follow her but I stop myself because that will be no good, she is angry now she won't listen to me. I punch the wall in frustration.

Zeke's POV

It's been awhile since Four left and I saw him talking to Tris from the door's peephole, Shauna is not home yet because there was new equipment delivered today and she had to stay a little later, so I just stay there lying on the couch and watching football** (soccer for all you American people).**

I hear a loud crash from the hallway outside my door and open the door to see Four there holding his hand close to his body and dent in a wall.

"Four, my man. You should know better than this. This is a wall, not a punching bag. If you wanted to let off some steam you could have just told me, we could go to Dauntless together" I say, trying to lighten the mood but also probing for information.

He glares at me and I instantly know that whatever it is that Tris told him affected him because he seems sad but also disappointed at himself. I know better than to ask questions now and silently lead him inside the apartment to bandage his bleeding knuckles.

He stays poker faced even when I apply the anti-septic and I know that he is in deep thought. I wish I knew what he was thinking now.

**Please let me know what y'all think, I love reading the reviews.**


	8. Friends, maybe?

**Hey there! I am back. Glad you liked my surprise chapter. Please read and review this chapter as well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent Trilogy or any of the characters mentioned here.**

**Friends, maybe?**

After coming back from Zeke and Shauna's I just hailed a cab to my apartment and went straight to bed not even talking to Christina who seems to have finally found her way out of those magazines and papers she had all over her desk and around the house last few weeks for the project. She stands there waiting for me to speak something but I just slam the door shut for the extra effect but also to let all the frustration out. I plop down on my bed and attempt to sleep, somehow tossing and turning the entire night I get to sleep at the crack of dawn. The next morning I am awakened by Christina slamming two pillows on my head waiting for me to get up.

"Just let me sleep!" I say groggily and glare at her for waking me up, but move to the side of the bed and get down knowing that she won't let me now.

She practically shoves the alarm clock in my face and I stare at the numbers saying its 07:45 already and that I just woke up. I have to reach my office in less day 30 minutes, not counting commuting time. I groan and go to dress up quickly, Christina talks to me while I get ready.

"I know you had this talk with Four and I want to know what happened? Will you tell me? Should I go kick his ass?"

"No" I tell her and narrate everything thing that happened yesterday to her quickly. She just stares at me in awe and then comes and hugs me "I am glad you stood up for yourself and your rights."

Hurrying to the kitchen, I grab an apple to eat in the bus to work and hurry out the apartment saying bye to Christina.

In the bus is when I look at the messages in received from Zeke yesterday, there are only two:

**Zeke [9:50 p.m.]: **Holy shit. What did you say to him?

**Zeke [9:52 p.m.]: **I don't think I have ever seen him this disappointed.

I don't bother replying to Zeke and for the first time allow myself to think about what I said yesterday. I realize that I am a little guilty about all the yelling I did yesterday. Just a little. I didn't really want to say it all that way but all those bottled-up feelings did me no good and it all came rushing out at once. I still am not sure what I did yesterday was right, sure I don't regret that I said things but I surely regret the way I said them and despite what I said about not caring, I do care and I would like to at least be on good terms with my soul mate.

I head to work and try to go through my day as usual but I know I am a bit disappointed. I don't know what I had expected but I sort of hoped that maybe Four would accept his mistake and we would fall into this tentative friendship.

The next couple of days were awkward. I knew that Four did hear at least some of what I said to him because he didn't try to flee whenever I was around and he did make eye contact more than once, but it was just awkward. I slowly came to accepting that while we had pretty much the same friends and same hang out places, our relationship was bound to be a strained one. That's why I was so surprised when one Sunday morning I opened the door to Four standing there with two cups of coffee and some scones.

He wore a light blue sweater that hid his tattoo and his eyes shone under the artificial building lights. He was not smiling per se but his face looked the most relaxed I had ever seen. "May I come in?" he asked politely and I let him in still dumbstruck.

Wordlessly he passes me one of the cup of coffee and I accept it and ask him to take a seat at the couch. Christina's not home today, she's gone to Will's but I don't know if I am thankful she isn't here so I can talk to Four without interruptions or sad that she isn't here because that way I have to talk to Four.

I take a sip of coffee from the cup Four handed me and am pleasantly surprised by its amazing taste.

"I want to apologize for acting like a prick when I realized we were soul mates. It's just I handle all my problems… well by avoiding them and I guess I did so here too without realizing that it probably wasn't the best idea because this time my problem, was, in fact, a person" he says it all in a rush like he's embarrassed to admitting it and rubs the back of his neck.

"So I am a problem to you?" I ask teasingly.

"You know what I mean."

"I get it" I agree. Knowing it probably was hard to accept that he had a soul mate especially after whatever happened to him.

"I-It was wrong of me to avoid you like that even after you made deliberate attempts to talk to me. Shauna kept saying that I was being a prick by not facing it" he shrugs and then runs his hand through his hair, "It's just facing things, people that cause me emotional pain… is hard for me. I don't really open up to people and I told myself I was done with soul mates when my mom died."

"Uriah-"

"Uriah told me that he told you what happened" he interrupted "it isn't the complete story and I may want to tell you someday. It's fine."

"I am sorry."

He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know it's no excuse for how I acted but whatever happened with my parents derailed me enough that I gave up on soul mates and ignored you thinking that you might eventually give up. I never thought that you may need some closure too, I am sorry for that."

I was surprised by his little speech, I never pegged Four to be the type of guy to be apologizing. I was also surprised by how genuinely sorry he felt and he phrased everything with a kind of disarming bluntness that I dint expect but was hard to dislike. I instantly made up my mind, "it's no problem."

"Really?" Four looks like the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders.

"Yeah, I mean. I did freak out on you too and you didn't deserve that, so I guess we're even." Four smiled, a genuine smile for the first time and I think about how good it looks on him and about how he looks so much better when he is smiling.

"I have to say though, I don't really trust this whole soul mates thing" he says. I am part relieved.

"That's fine by me, I am not ready for… anything yet either."

"So… yeah", he pauses and thinks "can we be friends at least?"

"Only if you tell me where you got this amazing coffee from?"

"Well…" he says teasingly, smiling now, "I can't tell you where I got the coffee from but I can get you another one of this coffee sometime soon. Deal?"

"Deal." We shake on it and I feel tingles running up my arm from where he touched me.

**Tell me how you thought this chapter was in the reviews, it was definitely a longer chapter, hoped you liked it.**


	9. A place to stay?

**Hello everyone. Thank you for all the reads/ favs/ follows and reviews. Here is another chapter let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**A place to stay?**

It doesn't happen all at once of course. Like most friendships it starts slow, with semi-awkward hellos when we cross paths to small conversations, Good mornings and Hellos to us texting each other whenever we are free. We seem to have a lot of interests in common but we also argue a lot, but yeah it's nice.

Both Christina and I fit well in our group of misfit friends (consisting of Christina, Uriah, Zeke, Shauna, Four, Marlene, Lynn, Will and I). It's weird at first but then we all meet up at Zeke and Shauna's apartment for food and movie, and everyone argues about what movie they should watch and soon everyone falls into a familiar rhythm with each other like a bunch of high-schoolers – teasing each other and enjoying each other's company while playing truth or dare.

With time I seem to assimilate in the group going to shopping with Marlene and Christina, talking about how much I hate shopping with Lynn, going to the gym with Shauna, talking about favorite books with Will, video games and soccer matches with Uriah and Zeke and well movies and coffee with Four.

Of course everyone knows about the soul mate thing, it is kind of hard to hide a huge tattoo on your arm all the time, though Four seems to manage doing that (and I can't deny it doesn't hurt me), and someone would have put two and two together eventually and got to know about it.

Four and I seemed to become good friends after some initial unease, you can basically say we are inseparable when both of us are out of work. Four visits my apartment quite frequently, sometimes dropping by for dinner or movies, or on his way to work to give me some of that amazing coffee or on most Sundays just sitting there with me and catching up on all the shows we both watch.

I have been to his apartment quite a few times too, usually when Will comes over for the night and I don't want to be listening to Christina and Will moaning all night, I take off to Four's. His place is nice, a two bedroom apartment which is tidy but doesn't have more of his personal touches, not really decorated. We usually watch movies together or just talk. Although once I did fall asleep with my head on Four's shoulder and needless to say it was awkward in the morning but I can't deny that I love the feeling of Four's arms around me. Four is also an exceptionally good cook, I fell in love with his homemade spaghetti the first time I ate it and he can make a mean chocolate fudge. The first time I tried it I immediately demanded he teach me.

So the next Sunday, we are in his kitchen and he is teaching me how to cook. I am not the worst cook per se but I would definitely not qualify as the best as well. Everything I make using Four's help tastes amazing but none of them are even close to the food Four makes. So after a while, I decide to just drop in at any time, using the spare key tucked under a lose tile in front of his apartment door, and raid his fridge for food. He is okay with that.

So here I am sitting in Four's apartment with Zeke and Shauna sharing a plate of lasagna I found in the fridge. I hear the door open to reveal Four and turn around to see him glare half-heartedly at us three, "leave" he says.

"We left you a plate" Shauna says not really scared of Four like the others are knowing him for more than half his life.

Four just groans and plops down on the couch "Just say what you are here for" he says.

"I am homeless" I say.

"What" he says and stares at me. I blush despite myself.

"Well not really. There has been flooding in the apartment upstairs and it is really bad leaking through the ceiling and all that so I just need a place to crash for a week or two. Actually three."

"So… what about Christina?"

"Well she has decided to move into Will's apartment a little early. We all knew she was leaving when the lease for the apartment was up in two months, it just came around earlier now."

"So where are you staying?"

"That's why we came here" answered Zeke "Is your old apartment still free?"

"No, actually it was sold about two months ago to someone else" Four says.

"So I guess we're back to square one" I say disappointed.

"What about Lynn?" he asks Shauna.

"Did you forget that she is still living in her shoebox dormitory till January?"

"I had offered for Tris to move in to our apartment and take the guest bedroom but she refused, something about not staying with a couple" says Shauna.

"Look, I just don't want to be there when the two of you are rolling around in bed going at it" I say pointing at Shauna and Zeke. Shauna blushes but Zeke just looks proud.

"I get it" Four says and shrugs. Then he seems to consider something before speaking "why don't come stay here?"

I am shocked. I would have never thought of Four offering me to stay here. "Are you sure?" I ask trying to believe my ears.

He nods saying "I have a guest bedroom where you can stay and I am single so no trouble about that, I am barely here during the day, generally quiet and you already eat here most of the time."

I consider the offer, I don't think I would mind Four as a flat mate. I look at Shauna who just shrugs looking cool as a cucumber but smirks at me then.

**Please review.**


	10. Tobias

**Thank you for all the reviews. Here's the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**Tobias**

Being flat mates with a boy is something. Four is nothing like Christina who was loud and messy, and I learn more about him as the days go on. It isn't just the usual things like his favorite movies or about his love for coffee and chocolate cake. I learn that despite being an amazing cook himself he loves the homemade cookies Hana sends him once a month more than anything and he won't let me touch his cookies at all. That Four loves to just sit with a glass of warm milk and cookies and draw his blueprints on the kitchen table with such precision going over each line multiple times, perfecting his drawings. That he wears glasses while working and seeing him in those glasses does weird things to me. Despite being a neat freak he always leaves behind pencils everywhere on the kitchen table and in between the couch. Slowly I discover that what the intimidation is just a mask to hide himself from others.

I do miss not being able to see Christina everyday now but Four makes it up by being sweet and considerate always.

Most of the time we eat breakfast together, unless one of us has an early meeting and then we eat dinner together as well. It was a few days after I moved into Four's apartment that the gang came over for dinner. It was then I realized that Four usually never invites anyone to visit his apartment, the only exception being Zeke, Shauna and I. Christina seemed content to be staying with Will and informed me then that she will be moving into his apartment permanently which was no surprise honestly. She also was adamant at getting me alone so she could grill me for some gossip, she joins me in the kitchen, helping me clean up.

"So, what's going on between you and number boy?"

"Nothing. For the last time nothing" I tell her, tired of her insistent probing about my non-existent love life.

"Well I don't think he would offer you to come stay here if it was nothing" she tells me.

"Well, he was just being a good friend. He's sweet that way. And even if I did feel something, I can assure you that Four does not. He only thinks of me as a friend, despite us being soul mates."

"Are you kidding?" she finishes cleaning "If you've got it, flaunt it" she says before sauntering away, her hips swaying slightly. I don't miss the way Will's eyes immediately finds her backside.

I enjoy the rest of the time with Four and my friends by my side. When its late and everyone is gone, Four and I are the ones cleaning up together.

We both work in silence, just enjoying each other's company. I am done so I go to tell Four just that.

"Four-"I start to say but am cut off by him saying "Tobias"

"Huh?" is the stupid thing that comes out of my mouth.

"Tobias, that's my real name" he says.

"Tobias," I say testing out the name, liking the way it rolls of my tongue much more than Four ever did "suits you."

"Call me that we're alone, it's nice to hear my name sometimes" he says rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay, Tobias", I say smiling feeling privileged that he shared something like that with me.

That night when I sleep, it's with a name imprinted in my mind. Tobias.


	11. Understanding

**Understanding**

The small get-together last night made me more tired than I realized. I have been lying on my bed for the last half an hour, thankful to the gods above that today is a Sunday and that I don't need to get to work. We were all up till at least 2 a.m. after dinner yesterday, watching movies and catching up. Then after everyone left Tobias and I got to work, cleaning up the apartment.

Tobias.

I smile thinking about how he disclosed a small part of himself to me yesterday.

I force myself to get up from bed and go to eat something to satisfy my grumbling stomach. I brush my teeth and walk outside to see Tobias standing in the kitchen shirtless and I suddenly can't tear my eyes away. I force myself to look away, probably blushing like a tomato and clear my throat. Tobias scrambles to put on a shirt while my feet carry me to the kitchen towards the amazing smell of pancakes. I make two cups of coffee and settle down on the stools with some of that amazing pancakes. Tobias soon walks in and helps himself a plate of pancakes with syrup and a mug of the coffee I made.

I stuff some of the food in my mouth, trying to stop the uncontrollable hunger I am feeling and let out an involuntary moan from the taste. Tobias starts laughing at me and I can't help myself either. Soon we both catch our breaths and look up at each other.

It looks like Tobias is contemplating something and wants to tell me something so I take his hand "you can tell me whatever you want to".

"I know" he says before standing up and taking both of our plates to the sink.

He takes my hand and leads me to the couch, sitting next to me, facing towards me. "I want to tell you about my mother" he says. I motion for him to continue.

"M-my mother was amazing, I wish you could meet her" tells me playing with my fingers, not quite looking at me "she was an incredible mother, she loved me a lot but she loved her husband more I guess."

"My _father_, Marcus was not the best _father_" he angrily spits the word father "my parents were soul mates. Marcus, well he was a good person for the first thirty seconds after their marriage but then he showed his true colors."

His next few words are shaky, "he-he abused my mother." I take a sharp breath, I didn't expect that. I squeeze his hands, showing my support for him.

"Did he ever abuse you?" I ask, cutting in because I need to know. Wanting to know but also dreading if the answer was in positive.

"No, he never really did anything to me except for some verbal abuse and locking me in the closet or making me watch him torture my mother. My mother did everything to protect me. She tried to run away several times from home but their soul bond always brought them back together and she never could truly escape. I wasn't until I turned nine when the soul bond broke off but it was too late. The day the bond broke off was also the day she died because of one of the beatings she received from Marcus. I was friends with Zeke back then too and my mother dying was the last straw and that was when I told Zeke everything. He told everything to Hana, and she immediately reported Marcus and took me in."

As he says this there are a lot of emotions I feel, my heart aches for that little boy whose father did such torturous things to his own wife and made him watch, I am angry at Marcus and grateful that Tobias had Zeke as a friend and Hana who eventually helped him out and understanding about why Tobias was so reluctant about even the idea of soul mates.

I squeeze his hand again reassuringly, silently communicating that he is safe now and that I understand.

He looks up now for the first time since starting this story and stares right into my eyes. "You are the strongest person I know" I tell him.

He looks confused, "You endured so much in your childhood, you saw what I wish no child should ever have to see and are still this amazing person now who loves his friends and is so thoughtful. If you aren't strong then I don't know who is."

He laughs, "and you're the best person on earth" he tells me. Now I must look confused because he continues "what I just told you about my childhood, about Marcus and instead of looking at me like I am a kicked-puppy you are telling me that I am strong. If you aren't the best then I don't know who is" he says, echoing my words from before.

I know he is nowhere ready for a relationship right now but I am content just being near him for now.


	12. My story

**Two chapters in a day? Surprise! I am posting two because I am going out for a while and don't know when I will be able to post next. But I will try to post soon. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**This chapter starts from when all of the gang leaves Tobias' house.**

**My story- Tobias' POV**

As our friends leave, my mind is whirling with thoughts of telling Tris about myself. Admittedly since Tris came to live here we have gotten closer, I have been finding myself trying to tell her about who I really am. So when we are cleaning up and she calls me Four, I am not surprised when "Tobias" comes rushing out of my mouth.

"Tobias" she repeats and I love the way she says my name and I want nothing more than to hear it again.

I almost spill everything then and there but I can see her tired eyes, the small yawn that is escaping her every two minutes and I tell myself to wait. That I will tell her in the morning.

The morning. The thought of telling her keeps me up almost the entire night but eventually exhaustion takes over and I fall into a dreamless slumber.

I wake up late the next morning, at about 10:30 a.m. so I make my way to the kitchen for some breakfast and I am not surprised to find Tris still sleeping, she was exhausted last night.

I make some pancakes for the both of us, knowing I have to talk to her today but also dreading her reaction. I trust her but I still fear a bad reaction. I am so engrossed in thinking about this that I do not see Tris enter the kitchen and just then I realize that I am standing here shirtless. Tris is blushing like crazy and she looks good with a messy bedhead and sleepy eyes.

I rush to get a shirt on and sit down next to Tris on the kitchen island eating breakfast and drinking coffee. I look up when I hear Tris moan and for a second I am surprised but when I see her looking at the food like it is heaven, I start laughing. Soon she is laughing along with me. When our laughter has died down and we have both finished breakfast I take our plates in the sink. Washing can wait.

I take Tris' hand and somehow it feels natural to be holding her hand now. I start by telling her about my mother, the best part of my childhood and then about my montrous father who does not really deserve this title. And she listens, I hear the concern in her voice when she asks me if Marcus ever abused me and I wonder how I got such a good friend. I tell her about Zeke finding out and then Hana. She stays silent all the time. I finally look up and try to communicate that even though nothing is really wrong with her I rejected my soul mate because of all that. I am surprised to see not a look of pity but a proud look thrown at me.

"You are the strongest person I know" she says.

I am confused, "You endured so much in your childhood, you saw what I wish no child should ever have to see and are still this amazing person now who loves his friends and is so thoughtful. If you aren't strong then I don't know who is."

I laugh brushing off the compliment, honored that she thinks this after all I told her, "and you're the best person on earth" I tell her.

She looks as if she doesn't believe me "what I just told you about my childhood, about Marcus and instead of looking at me like I am a kicked-puppy you are telling me that I am strong. If you aren't the best then I don't know who is" I tell her. It is true even if she does not realise it. She is selfless, brave, intelligent and beautiful and I am lucky to have her as a friend.


	13. A memorabke Christmas- Part I

**A memorable Christmas- Part I**

Ever since Tobias told me about his past we have grown closer. I understand him more now and he does not walk around like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders anymore, he is more carefree now, somehow happier.

Its nearing the end of my stay at his house and also the end of this year and my favorite festival, Christmas is just around the corner so I am very excited to head back home to meet my parents and, Caleb and Susan so when I get a call one day I am disappointed to know that my flight is cancelled due to bad weather.

Tobias must have caught on to my bad mood because he asks me if something was wrong and I tell him about the fact that I can't celebrate Christmas with my family. "You can come to the Pedrad house to celebrate Christmas. I am sure Hana would not mind, in fact knowing her, she would want you there" is his reply.

I am reluctant to agree at first not wanting to intrude but he assures me that it will be fine and that Shauna, Lynn and Hector( their younger brother) celebrate Christmas with them most of the time too. I finally concede.

* * *

Tobias and I go to Hana's house on the 22nd (because Hana said she wants all her children in the house a few days before). Hana does not seem surprised to see the both of us arriving together despite what happened the last time we were at her house. She welcomes me with open arms and delicious cookies fresh from the oven.

Hector, Shauna and Lynn's eleven-year-old brother, tells Tobias that I am pretty and that he has choosen well but Tobias makes no move to correct him and just blushes. I am pretty sure my face is red too.

In the living room I am met with the sight of Zeke stringing lights to the tree but there are so many lights hung on it that I can't see the tree anymore. Tobias laughs and tells him to make sure we can see the tree after it all but Zeke pays him no heed and continues with him work. I turn to talk to Shauna and suddenly light fills the whole room, I have to squint to see even with my back turned. Shauna just screams and shuts her eyes and I hear Tobias curse Zeke too.

"Okay I may have gone a little overboard with the lights but how does the tree look?" Zeke asks looking a bit sheepish.

"I do not think that anyone is going to be able to look at the tree this way Zeke, I told you not to put up so many lights but you forget every year" answers Tobias, still with his eyes closed.

"I do not believe you!" says Zeke, "you always just say that. Tris tell me how the tree looks to you?"

"It looks nice" I tell him, though I am pretty sure he can tell that I am lying because I still have my back turned towards the tree and am squinting to see properly.

* * *

The next day is spent making more cookies and watching Christmas movies, getting into full-Christmas-mode. Thankfully Tobias and Uriah took down most of the lights down yesterday from the Christmas tree and it is no longer blinding anyone now.

I go to the kitchen to help Hana make some cookies and am working on making the dough, meanwhile Hana goes to the living room to stop Zeke and Uriah from fighting over which movie to watch.

I hold the open container of flour in my hands putting some of it in the bowl in which the dough is to be made. Suddenly a hand touches my shoulder and I am so startled that I fling the container of flour and some of it ends up on the person to whom the hand belongs to.

I look up to see who that unlucky person is and am met with the face of a flour-covered-Tobias.

He looks shocked but then his face suddenly transforms to that of mischief and I know what he is planning. I attempt to run away but with his long strides he tackles me in no time and hugs me making my clothes full of flour too now. He laughs and I attack him with some more flour determined to make him unrecognizable by the end of this. He seems to accept the challenge and does the same to me. Pretty soon the flour is all over the kitchen and us, the cookie batch forgotten.

This christmas, even if I am away from home is surely going to be a memorable one.


	14. A memorable Christmas- Part II

**Thank you for the reviews everyone. I am happy to see your opinion about my story. Sorry about the short chapter.**

**Emily to answer your question, yes I have an idea but it will be awhile. So stay tuned :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**A memorable Christmas- Part II**

When Hana finds us both in the kitchen, she has a stern look on her face and I am sure both Tobias and I look like we saw a ghost. But then she starts laughing and we can't help but join in too. Tobias and I spent most of our evening cleaning up the kitchen and making more cookies. It is fun working alongside him and stealing some cookie dough to eat every once in awhile. At night Shauna, Lynn, Hana and I all sit together in Hana's room where we are staying in and talk. Hana tells us funny stories about Zeke, Uriah, Tobias and all the mischief they got upto together and some about Shauna too.

* * *

On Christmas eve, we all sit and watch Christmas movies and talk. Its nice and all these people here feel like family, especially when we throw popcorn at each other teasingly and laugh together, I don't miss not being home for Christmas all that much and am happy that I agreed to come here.

* * *

Next day, I am woken up at 6 a.m. by Uriah and Hector's screaming that Christmas is finally here and I don't know who is more excited, 11-year-old Hector or 24-year-old-but-a-child-at-heart Uriah. We all have a breakfast of cinnamon rolls and waffles and then agree to exchange gifts. We all sit under the tree where all gifts are already kept and go around giving gifts to everyone.

I get a few books from Zeke and Uriah. Shauna has given me some jewellery, Lynn got me combat boots, Hana got me a cute bag and Tobias got me two tickets to the next Cubs game. I am happy with all the gifts, though I admit everyone got to see me scream with delight at the gift I received from Tobias, I love the Cubs.

I got a three knife set for Lynn with her name engraved on the blade (which I think is suiting, she is studying criminology), a cute dress and matching necklace for Shauna, a skateboard for Hector, an ugly Christmas sweater and lock-picking set for Zeke (mainly as a gag gift as he is a cop but also for his dares), an ugly Christmas sweater and chocolate cake for Uriah and cookbook for Hana. Everyone thanked me for the gifts but noticed that Tobias' gift wasn't here so I told Tobias of the gift I got him- a drafting table- which was sent to his apartment and ugly Christmas sweater matching Zeke's and Uriah's.

Tobias sent me such a warm smile that I melted right on the spot. Tobias loves practical gifts, things he can use and I have heard him complain a lot of times about needing a new drafting table so I decided to build him one with the help of a friend. The fact that he likes it means a lot to me.

The rest of the spent watching more movies and eating delicious home-made food. Uriah, Zeke and Tobias all changed into the Christmas sweaters I got them and even got a picture clicked. Their stupid smiles showed that they loved it.

**Please review.**


	15. A bad start to new year

**Hello everyone! I am here with another chapter, I know some of you will be angry by the ending but hang on for awhile.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**A bad start to New Year**

It's New Year's Eve and Christina, Will and Marlene are back to Chicago from celebrating Christmas with their families. All of us have decided to meet in 'the Pit', one of Chicago's hidden treasure, a restaurant and bar which serves one of the best food I have ever had. Zeke knows the owner, Harrison and has pulled some strings to book us a table today.

I wear a cute black dress which I got in a shopping spree with Christina. I wear matching jewelry and the combat boots Lynn got me for Christmas, I pair this with a leather jacket and am ready to go. Even though it's December I decide to forgo a coat because the Pit is just a few blocks down from Tobias' apartment.

I peek out in the living room to see Tobias wearing a button-down grey shirt and black pants, and I have to admit he looks good. Just as I am leaving the apartment I get a phone-call, it is my landlord who says that the apartment is fully repaired and I can continue to stay there from the New Year.

We reach the Pit where I find Zeke, Shauna, Uriah, Marlene, Christina and Will already there. Soon enough Lynn reaches too talking about how she was looking for a good apartment to move into now that she has decided to finally move out of her shoebox dormitory.

We all sit and order some delicious, greasy food and enjoy each other's company. Soon I see Will leading Christina to the dance floor and Shauna and Zeke following. Uriah, Marlene and Lynn head to the bar to get some drinks so Tobias and I decide to join our friends on the dance floor too. We all dance together and suddenly I am whisked away from Tobias by Christina.

"So I know you told me there's nothing between you and Four, but are you sure? Things seem different now, you both seem closer. You are not keeping things from me right?" she says after dragging me to the girl's toilet, while retouching her makeup.

I don't know how to reply to that, I know that since Tobias told me the truth about him we are getting closer every day but I don't want to disclose Tobias' secret either. So I decide to go with the truth or the half-truth at least.

"Ever since I went to live with Four we have been getting closer but no I am not keeping anything from you, I don't think he is ready to date yet, and anyways you will be the first one to know if or when we do" I tell her.

Christina seems to accept this and helps me touch up my makeup. I ask her about what is happening with her and Will, and she tells me how they finally told 'I love you' to each other while out on a date. I am really happy for her, Christina deserves the best and am glad Will is there to make her happy.

I hear cheering outside and the countdown starts so both of us rush to the dance floor and to our friends.

As the dance floor comes into view, I hear a lot of people standing with their friends and hugging or kissing but then I see something else. A pretty brunette kissing Tobias with so much passion and looking at him like he is the only thing that matters and him kissing back with equal passion and I forget everything else.


	16. Moving out

**Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing. I got more reviews than I expected on the last chapter so yay! and thank you, you are the best!**

**Emily, don't worry about you being the brunette because you are not, and like I told you before it might be a few chapters until you are mentioned.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent trilogy or any of the characters mentioned here.**

**Moving out**

I am frozen on the spot unable to move as I see Tobias and the brunette kissing. Christina is no longer by my side, already half way across the room in Will's arms. Suddenly someone pushes me from behind and I am stumbling, and when I regain my balance I can't breathe. I have to leave is all I can think about and I can't breathe. I have to leave. I don't stay there a moment longer and head straight to Tobias' apartment.

I am shivering on the short walk back and the snow that had gathered when we were inside does not help. I quickly dash into the building needing warmth and some air to be able to breath. I ignore the greeting of the doorman and walk into the elevator and up to the tenth floor and close the door to my room and then lean against it, breathing heavily and trying to gather my thoughts and make sense of what I just saw.

I don't know why I feel so bad. I mean it isn't like Tobias is committed to me or anything. We are not dating. But then again all those looks we shared, the talks we had spoke more to me than anything ever did, I always had an amazing time with him and always thought that we could be more someday. Then I feel angry at Tobias, no _Four_, because he told me that he was not ready to date anyone, that he didn't think anything was wrong with me but he just needed time. He played with my feelings only to go behind my back and get a girlfriend. _A pretty one at that too._

I am angry and instantly start packing my bags determined not to stay in Four's apartment any longer. I am almost out of the house but then I realize that I don't have anywhere to go, even my apartment will only be available from tomorrow, I guess I have to stay the night. So I leave the bags next to the door and climb in bed, being so emotionally exhausted that sleep takes over immediately.

The next morning is when I see Tobias again. He definitely looks more than a little hangover and sleep-deprived but also a little bit guilty.

He looks at me and asks me of where I went last night. I know I am angry at him but I also know that he is his own person and does not need to justify his actions to me so I tell him how I was not feeling very well and walked back here. He frowns but seems to accept my half-lie.

Suddenly he looks towards the door and frowns again.

"What are the bags for Tris?" he asks me cautiously, almost like he is fearing my answer, "are you going somewhere?"

I struggle to keep calm and not break down right there, "yes, actually my landlord called yesterday and my apartment is now ready so I am moving back there with Lynn. My three weeks are nearly over and Lynn didn't find a good flat mate so we decided to room together", which is true. I called Lynn early morning today and told her about how she could room with me if she wanted, she agreed instantly.

An odd look crosses Tobias' face but before I can decipher it he is back to his poker face.

"Oh" he says, like he can't think of anything else to say. Things seem definitely more awkward now than they were last night.

I leave without saying another word to Four.

**Four's POV**

I wake up with my head pounding and ringing in my ears and I can't help but blame Zeke for this stupid hangover. I try to piece what happened yesterday night and all I remember is that after Christina dragged Tris away from me, I was joined by Zeke who got me a few drinks. I remember looking into someone's eyes, blue-gray like Tris' and a kiss. _Damn it. Don't tell me I kissed Tris when I was drunk_ is all I can think of.

I walk out of my room and sit on the couch with my head in my hands trying to remember everything that happened yesterday. I can't recall anything. I see Tris walk out of her room from the corner of my eye.

Tris. She seems to be one of the best thing that happened to me and I can feel myself slowly falling for her now despite my concerns of not falling in love because I am terrified I might become like Marcus. I somehow wish I had not told her about needing time but I think I have already messed that up as I take in the distance she maintains and the hurt displayed plainly on her face.

I try to remember where Tris went after I kissed her yesterday but I come up with nothing. So I ask her where she went yesterday and she tells me she was not feeling well and walked back home.

I know this probably means that she didn't appreciate me kissing her like that yesterday and don't know what to say or how to start apologizing.

I look towards the door and see bags. I am startled, _did I scare her away so much that she wants to move away? _I frown and ask her about the bags.

"Actually my landlord called yesterday and my apartment is now ready so I am moving back there with Lynn. My stay here was nearly over anyway and Lynn didn't find a good flat mate so we decided to room together", she says but I see anger and hurt in her eyes and I think about how maybe that kiss last night was a mistake and she is leaving because of me.

I don't know what to say, "Oh" is all I can think of and before I can try explaining myself she is already out the door.

**Surprise, surprise! Bet you didn't expect that. Please let me know what you guys think of it in the reviews.**


	17. Love?

**Hey there! I am back with another chapter. Sorry for late posting, I had school today.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**Love?**

The ride to my apartment is silent and this silence reminds me much of what I left behind and probably lost forever. I feel a desperate urge to order the cabbie to turn back and take me to Tobias' apartment again but I stop myself. He hurt me, I can't go back there.

Soon I am at my building, I see Lynn by the elevator where she was waiting for me. She only has two bags and a box with her but she tells me that Zeke and Shauna will be here later to move in more of her stuff. I greet her but I am sure she can see that my heart is not into it.

I open the door to my apartment and walk in, everything looks like how it was when Christina and I first arrived to Chicago. It doesn't feel quite as homey and inviting as it did just a couple of weeks ago and my heart aches, desperate to go back to what really feels like home. My eyes are brim with tears but I put aside my emotions and drag my bags behind me, Lynn soon joining me but I notice that she is frowning.

"What is it that is troubling you? And don't you dare deny it, I know there is something" she says and I don't know how to reply.

What should I tell her about what happened when I don't know really, all of this just makes me tired of everything that happened since yesterday and can't help but let a few tears fall.

Lynn must notice them because she immediately crouches next to me, leaving her bags and rubs my back soothingly. I try to stifle my cry and stop the tears but she just repeats that action on my back telling me to let my emotions out. I do as she says, letting out a few ugly sobs that make my entire body tremble. _What is wrong with me?_

It takes a while maybe half an hour or more but eventually I calm down. Lynn is always by my side not saying anything but just her presence is comforting enough.

It's only when I fully calm down that Lynn questions me again and I know she is worried now by the crease on her forehead so I narrate everything that happened since yesterday to her and she listens without interrupting me, but what she says after surprises me.

"You are in love with Four", she says it like a statement, like there is no question and I know instantly its true.

I didn't realise it before but I have fallen in love with Tobias, the person behind the mask, the person who despite being my soul mate I claimed to be only friends with. This revelation explains the feeling I am experiencing. This is heartbreak. I don't know what to say other than what is the truth, "yes".


	18. Does he like her?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent trilogy.**

Lynn POV

From the moment Tris first walked into the apartment complex I knew something was wrong. I have trained myself to read people and am pretty good if I say so myself. I don't know Tris long but in the last few months I have become close to her and can read her very well. She is like an open book and all her emotions on displayed on her face.

Right now, all she does is give me a half-hearted greeting and walks into the elevator, her face portraying a sad and hurt expression. She looks paler than usual, her usually glowing white skin looking ghostly pale today and looks like she is trying not to cry. Dragging my bags behind me, I follow her into her, our apartment. It looks good and spacious nothing like the dormitory I lived in before this but that is not what I first notice.

I notice Tris' sagging shoulders and her tearing eyes and can't help but want to know what is troubling her. I am not surprised when she lets the tears she tried to stop fall. I instantly bend down and run soothing circles on her back, the same way I used to do when Shauna and Zeke were not together and Zeke was an oblivious idiot, dating other girls and breaking her heart or when mum used to cry after dad left us.

Slowly, her crying stops to nothing. While I don't want to pressurize her into telling me everything I do know talking will do her some good. She tells me everything that happened since yesterday and I just listen. From what she says I know she loves Four but does not realize it herself. Its only when I ask her about it do I see realization dawn upon her and her cheeks color bright red, but there is no doubt in her voice when she replies with an affirmative.

I don't know whether to be happy or not. I have seen Tris and Four together before and I have noticed them staring at each other without realising it. From what I had gathered from Shauna, even without them realizing that they were soul mates they were attracted to each other. Lately I have been seeing more and more looks from Four being thrown Tris' way. His eyes seem to follow Tris everywhere and his face lights up as soon as she walks into the room. While he may not love her yet, I do know he is on the way there. Before Tris, I knew Four for a long time especially since he was friends with Shauna in high school and even then he was closed off and no one really got him out of his shell. Tris seems to be able to do that easily but with what she tells me happened yesterday, I don't know what to think. But I do know one thing, something is very wrong.

Zeke POV

It's New Year and Shauna has already put me to work. Uriah would say I am whipped but I disagree, I love Shauna and would do anything for her. Turns out Lynn has decided to room with Tris. I know for a fact Four will be really disappointed, he does seem happier these days with Tris around.

I help Shauna carry some of Lynn's boxes, there isn't much, just three big boxes and two smaller ones.

I meet Lynn near the elevator and help her carry the boxes and move in some of her belongings. She seems to be deep in thought so I ask her what it is.

"Four likes Tris, right?" she asks.

_I am confused, what is Lynn getting at? _but I nod anyway. "Of course he does, have you seen them together lately? Moreover, Four even told his real name to her, what do you expect?!"

Lynn just nods calmly like she expected that answer but furrows her eyebrows, thinking.

We move into the apartment, Shauna already unpacking one of the smaller boxes while talking to Tris.

I hug Tris in greeting but notice her red-rimmed eyes instantly. _What in the world is happening? Is it something Four did and that is why Lynn's asking me about him?_

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	19. What have I done?

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Divergent trilogy or any of it's characters.**

**What have I done?**

Tobias POV

It's been a few hours since Tris left, running away from me like that. When she left through the front door of my apartment, all my energy left with her but I still had this insistent tug in my gut to go after her, to explain her everything but I also knew she needed space.

_Maybe that drunken kiss was a bad idea _I thought going to lay down on the couch my head pounding again and my heart beating wildly, as soon as I plopped down onto the couch face-first I was hit by the smell of strawberries and lemon, something that smelled distinctly Tris and I groaned, _it was definitely a very bad idea _I concluded dragging my ass to my room reluctantly and going to bed. _Maybe this is all a bad dream and going to sleep will make it go away _I thought even though I knew that was not how it worked. Despite my bad hangover and exhausted mind, I couldn't get to sleep though so I just laid there for god knows how long staring at the bare wall in my room.

It was only when I heard a loud _thud-thud _sound did I get up, realizing that someone was at my door. I rushed out of my room, hoping against all hopes for it to be Tris, but was thoroughly disappointed to see just Zeke there. Instantly deflated, I nodded to Zeke not bothering to keep the grimace off my face.

Zeke skips all pleasantries altogether and just asks me, "What did you do?" crossing his arms over his chest and for once I am intimidated by him.

"What are you talking about?" I ask him even though I have an idea about why he is here.

"About Tris" he says gently, nothing like his harsh demeanor just a moment ago. He probably noticed that this hurts me too and seems to be back to being my best friend, not acting like he thinks I am at fault.

"Tr-I don't know" I say after a few minutes, he gives me a pointed stare "I kissed her last night while I was drunk" I say, not pausing to breath at all.

Zeke seems shocked like he didn't expect this, just opening his mouth and closing it again. "What?!" is what he finally says "you kissed her?" he asks me, and at my nod "Go man!" he says, looking genuinely happy.

It's my turn to give him a pointed stare now as if silently say _how did you think this turned out? _and he seems to understand it as suddenly his cheery attitude evaporates.

"But, but why did she leave then? I mean she likes you too so why would she run away like that?" Zeke says, thinking out loud. "Something's really wrong for sure."

_She does? She likes me too? No, no, that is not possible. Tris could not like me that way, not after finding out how messed up my life is, how broken I really am _I think. _Zeke seems sure though that she likes me and the fact that she didn't judge me before when I told her about myself must mean something right? Maybe something is really wrong._

* * *

Despite the fact that I spend more than half of my day yesterday not doing anything but lying in bed, it is still difficult for me to force my eyes to open this morning. I am an early-riser and usually have no difficulty getting up in the morning but today is different. Every muscle in my body screams in protest when I force myself up and into the shower. I wish nothing more than to lie here, in bed all day but I have to get to work today. My team has a huge project underway right now and I only got a break from the constant work on weekends or when we had this week long holiday for Christmas and New Year's.

Stepping out of my car and walking about to this towering glass building, Erudite Architects, I walk in a scowl still on my face. The news that Tris liked me too confused me because if she really did then why did she leave like that, what did I do wrong is plaguing my thoughts.

Pushing these thoughts away I go to the fifteenth floor where my office is. Just as I enter my office, I am approached by Nita. She walks up to me and loops her arm through mine, intertwining our fingers together. I shake off her hand from mine, my scowl deepening now.

Nita is a junior architect in the company with looks that might charm maybe all of the male and maybe some female employees here but not me. Her exaggerated curves and too-much-make-up face just makes me want to stay away and her clingy personality doesn't help either. I want someone who is pretty without trying to be, someone beautiful inside-out, like Tris. But unfortunately I can't have Tris now, she seems to be running away and I have to deal with Nita because no matter how she behaves, she is a good architect and is resourceful to the team.

"What is it Nita? You should act professionally and respect other people's personal space" I say, not really wanting to deal with her right now.

"Oh Four, what's wrong? I thought you liked being with me" she says "our kiss at New Year's countdown was spectacular by the way" she winks.

And that is when I notice her eyes, blue-grey but a steely-blue, cold and unfeeling unlike Tris' whose blue-grey eyes are lighter and more alive. _What have I done?!_


	20. Chasing her?

**Sorry for taking so long to update but I couldn't do much about it when my laptop got attacked by virus and took so long to get repaired. To make up for it, I have posted a longer chapter. Hopefully you like it.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed. I got to more than 100 reviews on this story so yay! Thank you so much all of you.**

**Chasing her?**

**Tobias' POV**

I take a step back from Nita in surprise but also recoiling from the thought of me kissing her.

I need to go! Tris may have seen that unfortunate kiss at the countdown and maybe that is why she is keeping her distance from me. Maybe she does like me after all.

I rush out of my cabin, heading straight towards the stairs when I am stopped by Amar, my boss and mentor.

"Hey Four, hope you had a good break and Happy New Year. I hope you are done with the blueprints for today's meeting and have briefed your team fully" is what he says.

This meeting is important to Erudite architects, this contract could mean making it or breaking it on an international scale. I know I have to stay for a few more hours, I can talk to Tris later.

"Thank you and yes, we are ready Amar" I say with a sigh, work comes first.

After a long meeting talking about the project and staying away from Nita, I finally get to leave.

Amar chuckles as I look at my watch for the thousandth time since morning and tells me to go to whatever is making me so antsy.

I rush out of the office building, desperate to talk to Tris now.

I walk over to Tris' apartment and see Lynn just getting out. She sees me and glares crossing her arms over her chest shutting the door behind her.

"What is it now, Four? Came to see how Tris is fairing? Because let me tell you she is just fine" she says spitting out Four like it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.

"I-no! I-I didn't. I didn't mean to kiss Nita, that was just me drunk not knowing what I was doing" I say trying to justify myself but still wanting to see Tris. "Please just let me see Tris and explain it all to her" I beg Lynn and am surprised by this vulnerable side of me.

If Lynn is surprised by me begging like this she doesn't show it on her face. She just stares at me like she is trying to figure out if I am telling the truth or not.

Lynn is hard to read because like me she knows how to control her emotions, but I don't even try to put on a mask now. I just want to talk to Tris.

"How do I know you are telling the truth though?" she says.

"You don't but I am really telling the truth, you just have to trust me" I say, my voice an octave higher, now really desperate to see Tris.

"Do you love her?" she asks me, her voice definitely not soft but somehow kinder, and I am surprised by this question and also by the change.

"I don't know if I do love her yet but this is definitely more than just attraction" I say, the words less than a whisper. It's true, I don't know if I do love her yet but I do think that I am getting there slowly. Just the thought terrrifies me, the thing I have been avoiding for so long, the thing I never thought I could have seems to be in just arms reach and the scary thing is despite all of that I want to go for it, fall in love because I don't think there will be anything better than being in love with Tris, she lights up the whole world.

Lynn searches my face and she seems to find what she is looking for because she pulls me away from the door of her new apartment.

"I believe you but also know that if you hurt Tris, I won't spare you", she says "also, it would be better if you give her some space for awhile."

I nod my head, not wanting to argue against Lynn now, not when I don't have the energy to. I run my hand through my hair again. I understand what she is saying, and really seeing Tris when she is calm will be better for me too than going to see her now, but I really want to see her.

* * *

**Tris POV**

I was not able to sleep all of last night, mostly tossing and turning around in bed until early this morning when I finally did get to sleep. It's only when Lynn comes to wake me up that I do, she tells me its noon and that I should haul my ass out of my bed soon. I am grateful that I don't have work today but I still do need to get up.

Grudgingly, I do wake up, sleepily making my way to the kitchen. There is not much there though, so I just help myself to cereals deciding to go for grocery shopping later.

Lynn is in a hurry, almost out the door before she remembers to grab her wallet, and has to rush back in.

I continue my breakfast without really paying attention to everything that Lynn is upto. Only when I hear another voice do I look up.

It's To-Four, it's Four.

I can't see him because Lynn has walked out, shutting the door behind her, probably so as to not let me see him, especially after yesterday. But I would recognize that voice anywhere.

I can't deny my curiousity so I walk up to the door peeking through the peephole to see Lynn's dark pixie-cut hair and Four, standing there talking to her. He looks good like always, but this time wearing his office clothes.

He looks like he ran a marathon to get here and keeps running his hand through hair, a nervous tick of his.

I can't hear what they are saying despite being less than two meters away so I silently edge closer to the door, straining my ears to hear Four say, "I don't know if I do love her yet but this is definitely more than just attraction."

**Please review and let me know what you think.**


	21. Explanations

**Thank you for all the reads and reviews. I love to see that people are appreciating my story. Here's the next chapter. Beware of the change in POVs and timeline.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, only the plot.**

**Tris POV**

'I don't know if I do love her yet but this is definitely more than just attraction' is what keeps replaying in my mind.

Is that really what he said or something my mind conjured up? Also, who was he talking about because it surely cannot be me, right? Right. He wouldn't kiss someone else if he liked me. Maybe he was talking to Lynn about the girl he was with on New Year's. Sounds like he really does love her.

My heart breaks at just the thought. He loves someone else, that someone else being the pretty brunette he was kissing just two days ago and not me.

I guess I should be happy for Tobias, he found someone who is deserving of him, someone who will love him but unfortunately all I feel is tremendous sadness. My stomach is churning at just the thought of Tobias with anyone else.

I slide down against the door, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my head on them. I let the few tears that have gathered in my eyes fall but stop myself before I start full-out sobbing.

Maybe this is for the best. Tobias gets someone he actually deserves. I am sure that I will get over him eventually, all I need is some time but I know it is not true even as I am thinking it.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

It's been a week since I talked to Lynn. Nine days exactly since 'the incident'. I haven't seen Tris even once in this time, I think she is trying to avoid me now. I just wish I could talk to her, tell her everything. I admit that the idea of just camping outside her apartment until she comes out and we can talk has been tempting but I try to remember what Lynn said.

Tris needs her space. I am pretty sure that if roles were reverse, no matter what, I would need time to process all this but I also know that Tris is stronger than me.

I walk into Café Divergent just like I do most mornings now that Tris is gone. When Tris was in the apartment I had breakfast with her every morning before heading off to work but now that she left, I usually join Tori (the café's owner and a good friend) for breakfast. I met Tori through work when I was still working as an intern, she was a customer but now she has become a close friend and a confidante.

Today though I spot Tris sitting at my usual table talking to Tori. She looks nice. A small smile pulled at her lips, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders in an angelic way.

I can't stop myself from walking towards her and am soon finding myself standing in front of her.

She finally takes notice of me and the smile falls from her face, replaced by a look of hurt which is soon gone, replaced again by a look of determination.

Even the moment of hurt on her features make me feel guilty but Tris looks stronger than I feel now.

Tori notices the change in the atmosphere and tells us to take a table near the back and quietly exits from the scene.

I am partly grateful wanting to get some alone time with Tris but also dreadful of Tori leaving because it means that I will need to have the conversation and I don't want to hurt Tris anymore with my words than I already have.

Tris looks like she wants to leave and even makes an effort to do so before I stop her, telling her that we need to talk.

"I missed you" I tell her, its true but we both know that I am avoiding the real conversation we need to have here.

Her eyes soften making her dull grey eyes that always held so much hope, a sparkling blue even if it is just for a moment before turning into steely grey ones "I think this is so much more than that, don't you Tobias?"

I can hear the frustration in her voice, but I can't, I'm not ready. I have so much I want to say, so much I need to say and at the same time so much I don't want to say.

I open my mouth to tell her everything that happened that day, everything that I messed up but I can't. My words fail me and I close my mouth. I try to get out the words again but it doesn't do anything except for making me look like a fish.

"I thought you wanted to talk to me and now that you have the chance to, you are not talking" she says, anger rolling off her in waves.

I try again but it's like I am mute and can do nothing until she briskly walks towards the door and out the café. It is only then that my mind processes anything and I run out after her, finding her just around the corner leaning against the wall and taking deep heavy breaths.

She must have heard me because it is then that she looks up and straightens abruptly, before I can even comprehend what she is doing, she is running away from me.

I doesn't take me long to catch up to her, my long even strides quickly outpacing her short ones and I hold her by the waist, not giving her the chance to escape again now.

"Let me go, Four" she says protesting against me, her voice sounding weak now.

"Only if you promise to not go until I tell you everything, please" I say a little desperately.

"Fine but make it quick" she says but the fight in her voice is all gone now.

I loosen my arms from around her not letting her go as of yet, I can feel her body heat and her breath but cannot see her face now. I think that is for the best because I don't think I could say it while looking at her and knowing that it hurt her.

I tell her everything that happened that day since when she disappeared with Christina and didn't come back. The drinks, Nita, the kiss, everything.

Her posture slowly relaxes, and I tell her the thing I wish I could have told her at New Year's Eve.

"I like you, I really do and even on the New Year's this is what I wanted to tell you" I run my hand through my hair "but you know what happened..."

**Please review.**


	22. Listening to him

**Hello everyone. Sorry for not uploading in a while, I have been busy with school and exams and have not been able to write a lot. I will try my best to upload the next chapter soon but I have no idea when that can be. Anyway, here is the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

**Tris POV**

As much as I don't want to admit it, the past week has been more difficult to me than I thought it would be.

Lynn has told me to take some time to myself but also that I should give Tobias a chance to explain himself. While I agree with her, knowing that I am being unfair to Tobias by not giving him a chance, I can't bring myself to face him, not now.

Christina came rushing to my doorstep when she realised that I had moved into this apartment. She got to know the real reason and was all ready to kick ass of the 'jerk named Four' as she put it but relented when I told her not to and settled for a fun girl's night full of ice cream and chick-flicks.

I have been grateful for the break being over, at least I can busy myself with work instead of focusing on what makes me sad. Also, I got to work on the frontlines for the first time in a year since coming to Chicago, leading a small but crucial project all by myself.

"Congratulations, Tris! You deserve to lead this project after how hard you worked last year" says Matthew, a co-worker who is also working as data-analyst on the project I will be leading.

I smile and thank him, this is really big for me.

As he leaves Emily, the new intern, joins me. She is quite the person, always so happy and very determined. She reminds me a lot of my best friend, Christina. She has the same excitement about life, is confident like her and loves to play matchmaker but while Christina is all about fashion, Emily is more of a threater girl."Hey Tris, congratulations on getting the Merchandise Mart project, I am so happy for you. Also, can't wait to able to write a report on this project. It seems pretty interesting."

"Thanks Emily, I am very happy to have you on my team" I reply.

"Sooo..." she looks at me.

"Yes?" I raise a single eyebrow at her.

"What's up with you and Matthew? I saw the smile you gave him" she says, words rushing out of her in the excitement and I am reminded again by her words regarding why I compared her to Christina.

I sigh, "No, there is nothing between the both us and maybe you should quit trying to set me up with every single person in the office now."

"They only reason I do so is because I want you to be happy like I am, and while that doesn't mean that you need a guy it certainly doesn't hurt." _It can hurt, I woukd know. _"Besides, I heard that Matthew has a liking towards you. Who knows maybe one day you will be thanking me?"

I shrug in response, but knowing that I am not ready for a relationship, not now, not so soon after everything that happened.

* * *

The next day, I wake up early deciding to go to Café Divergent before going into work. I started coming around here everyday after work since this café is on my way to work. The owner, Tori is a pretty woman, with small, dark eyes and black straight hair streaked with gray. She is really nice and fun to talk to. She looks surprised to see me in the morning but smiles nonetheless, joining me at my usual table.

"You look really happy today, what's the matter? Also, you didn't come in yesterday" she says.

"Oh, yeah I got a new project to lead at work so I am pretty thrilled. I went out with my coworkers to celebrate yeaterday and also I am craving your chocolate muffins a lot right now so I just stopped by."

"Well that's great, congratulations Tris! I am proud of you."

I go to reply to Tori when I notice her looking sideways at someone else. I turn my head then, my words forgotten when I see Tob-Four standing there. I feel sadness coursing through my veins but then I remember and know that I can't let him see or destroy me like that.

It is then Tori speaks up but I am too disturbed to pay attention to her words and don't know when I end up at the back of the café with Four.

All I want to do right now is escape so I go to do just that but am stopped by Tobias, telling me that we need to talk. Unable to avoid this conversation any longer, I just look at him expectantly.

"I miss you" he says and each word feels like a stab to the heart. I feel my glare soften though, tears threatening to leak through. I want to say it too, but I can't and hearing him say it just hurts so I focus my glare at him again, masking my true emotions.

"I think this is so much more than that, don't you Tobias?" I say, letting my frustruation with him, with myself and this situation shine through.

He just stands there, probably not able to justify the situation at all. Maybe this is what he wanted in the first place, hurting me.

"I thought you wanted to talk to me and now that you have the chance to, you are not talking" I say, moving towards the doors, not wanting to be in this situation anymore. I stop just outside the café, taking deep breaths and trying my best to calm myself.

I hear footsteps following me outside and I know its him without even looking. I stand up and just run without thinking of what I am doing. It is not long before he catches me though, holding me by the waist.

His touch still sends shivers down my spine and I try my best to not react towards it. "Let me go" I say weakly, the fight leaving my body now. I really just want to stay here forever, never leaving his arms.

He lets me go but making it so I have to listen to him. He tells me everything, about Nita, the kiss he shared with her, him liking me and wanting to tell me about it.

I am not able to comprehend all of what I am hearing, if what he is saying is true then I just made a huge mistake. He was FINALLY ready but I blew it by not listening to him even once.

I looked down at my concealer covered tattoo, remembering why I did start covering it. Just looking at it hurt too much and I didn't know if I could go through all of that again.

Tobias' eyes flickered to where I was looking at but he averted his eyes from my hand just as quickly.

Sighing, I said "I don't know if I can date you right now but maybe we can be friends again?"

He smiled, "It's okay, I know I broke your heart when you saw me like that with someone else but I promise you I will do everything to win you back, and you agreeing to be friends is a great first step."

**Thanks for reading, please review :)**


	23. Here we go again!

**Hello everyone. I am here with a new chapter, I apologise for not uploading sooner. I had the time but not the mental energy to do any writing, I was very stressed the past few weeks but all is better now so here you go. A short mainly filler chapter for you guys.**

**Tris POV**

I sigh as I step in to the apartment. Lynn is sitting on the couch, typing quickly on her phone, the TV on in the background. Today was very tiring, aside from running into Tobias first thing in the morning, I also had to gather data for the old store in Merchandise Mart and evaluate everything we need to upgrade it.

Lynn turns away from her phone as she hears me come in, "Long day, huh?" she asks.

"You have no idea." I reply and she goes back to typing on her phone when I don't bother elaborating.

I know that talking to Tobias again was a huge step, maybe in the right direction but I am not ready to just go back to the way we were before. I admit he was not at fault here but I still felt pain, my mind still prodding at all the new information I got today. I believe Tobias but my mind did plant the smallest bit of doubt and I can't shake it off now. I know a lot of this has got to do with my own insecurities but I can't really pretend like everything is the same as it was before. My concealed tattoo just serving as a greater reminder.

I decide to take a quick shower to clear my head and eat some of the pasta Lynn made for dinner. I will have to figure everything out as I go. For now I should concentrate on the meeting we are having tomorrow with the architects.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

Yesterday was a long day and I am glad I got to talk to Tris and that we are at least back to being friends now. I know that it will be awhile before we can go back to how we were before or take a step ahead but this incident made me realise that I really really like Tris, maybe more than I thought before and that Tris and I have genuine connection. And by that I mean that it is more than me just liking her because we are soulmates.

I feel a lot better today than I have in over a week. I get dressed quickly and head to Abnegation Industries, grabbing a coffee on the way. Amar had asked me yesterday to take my team to Abnegation Industries for a small renovation project. He wants some of his best people there because he believes that this small project may help pave the road to working on larger projects with Abnegation Industries which can help us reach international markets as well.

Nita, who is unfortunately on my team is clinging to me despite the fact that I have made myself clear multiple times through out the week that what happened on New Years was just a drunk mistake. I don't know how I can make it any more clear now or maybe it is that Nita just can't take a hint. She is however a good architect and I can't remove her from the project because of Amar's statement that this project can be a turning point for us with Abnegation Industries.

We walk in to the meeting room and I see Tris standing by the front of the conference table with a number of papers in her hand. She looks just as shocked to see me here as I probably do. I knew that Tris worked in Abnegation Industries but I didn't even consider the possibility of me working with her on this project.

I feel Nita's breath on my neck when she asks me, "Hey Four, why did you stop?", and I almost flinch at how close she is standing. Its only then I realise that I stopped right at the door suddenly when I saw Tris.

I step into the room and look at Tris again, she seems to have zeroed in on Nita now. I see her glancing towards her and Nita and my only thought is _here we go again._

**I hope you liked it. Please review to let me know!**


	24. Nita

**Hey everyone. I want to thank all of you for reading this story, it is amazing to know what you think about it. Here is a slightly longer chapter, hope you all like it. I had fun writing this one.**

Tris POV

I am surprised to see Tobias walking in to the meeting room at my office. Zoe, my supervisor had organised a meeting with an architecture firm for the upgrade at Merchandise Mart.

He looks just as shocked as I am which suggests that maybe he wasn't told about who he was meeting either. He stands frozen next to the door and only moves when the brunette behind him leans in close to say something to him. The woman is tall but not too tall, thin but not too thin, and has warm brown skin with dark brown hair. She certainly is pretty and has a figure that would have men falling over their feet for her. Her stride shows that she knows it too. She looks oddly familiar too. Behind her is another man with orange hair, like the color of an old carrot. He looks like he has been inconvenienced by just coming here.

I walk closer to greet them and Tobias gives me a huge, warm smile and turns to introduce his colleagues. The orange haired man is Drew and the pretty brunette standing next to Tobias is called Nita. Its only when I hear her name that I remember where I saw her before.

_Nita._

The girl who Tobias said he kissed when drunk was also a Nita. From what I remember of the girl on New Year's, she was also a pretty brunette, roughly the same height as the Nita standing in front of me. _Is this the same Nita?_

I still greeted her as warmly as I could muster and started the meeting. We outlined all our needs for the renovation and gathered input for possible designs for the store. Through out the meeting I noticed Tobias nervously moving his leg, he seemed jumpier than usual. Nita maintained a sugary, sweet smile through out, occasionally giving some input. Emily seemed to be doing well too, for her first time, she gave ideas and asked the right questions too, although she had a smirk on whenever she looked at me.

The meeting was over quickly and we decided to make more decisions after visiting the site at Merchandise Mart which was scheduled after a quick lunch break.

As everyone headed out to the company cafeteria, Tobias stayed while I was wrapping up the papers and the files. He was hovering by my shoulder when I finally looked up and asked him what it was.

"You didn't tell me you got to lead a project", he said, a little smile on his face, "that's huge."

"We weren't exactly talking until yesterday and you know its a small project only, even then I am very happy, I guess it is huge for me. I also didn't know that we would be working on this project together."

He shrugs, his eyes flitting between me and the door quite frequently. I don't understand what is happening.

"Well I also do know that this isn't the only reason why you hung back, so tell me what is it?" I ask, really wanting to know what has him so nervous.

He shrugs it off as nothing but I do know that there is something bothering him, I let it go for now.

"Lunch?", I say gesturing towards the cafeteria.

"Lunch."

I walk in to see the team already sitting together, Matthew talking to Drew, Emily's excited chatter filling the room when talking to Molly, Nita and Myra. Emily sees me and waves excitedly for us to join the table. She still has that stupid smirk on her face. _I really need to know what she is smirking so much about today._

Both Tobias and I head towards the table. Everyone looks up when they see us together, Tobias however just raises an eyebrow and puts on his Four mask and everyone looks away. Not Emily though. She stares at me expectantly and when I pull a confused face on her, she sighs.

"Care to tell how you know Four?", she whispers to me.

"Because we are friends" replies Tobias, _oops! Looks like he heard Emily._

This seems to gain the attention of the entire table and I feel like a teenager in high school again. I look anywhere but at Tobias. Emily just smirks again and Nita seems generally annoyed by everyone. The rest of the lunch is spent in silence except for the occasional look by Emily, Tobias seems deep in his thoughts so I don't bother talking to him. Nita, however is a-whole-nother story. She sits on his other side and is constantly trying to talk to him. I can see his discomfort from the way he tenses up when Nita is clinging to him.

Right after lunch, Emily drags me away to the girls toilet and starts interrogating me.

"So where did you guys meet? How close are you two? Are you dating yet?", she fires one after the other, too excited to give me the chance to answer.

"Um.. If you are talking about Four, I met him when I first came to Chicago, we are friends and no", I reply, blush covering my cheeks. My mind goes back to Nita and how maybe she is the same Nita from the New Year's incident. If so, Tobias never mentioned working along with her as well. Although, his nervousness today and Nita's resemblance to the girl the other night suggests that maybe they are the same one. Guess I will never know unless I ask Tobias or he tells me.

Emily seems to have caught onto my sudden change in mood and asks no further questions.

The rest of the day is relatively unremarkable. Its three days later we when all decide to go out for drinks to commemorate us working together as a team because the next day is a Sunday.

As I enter the bar, I see the usually quiet, detached Molly talking to Drew, they seem to have hit it off quite soon and look like they are enjoying each other's company. Nita is talking to Myra and Matthew, while Emily is talking to Tobias, probably bombarding him with questions again. I head to the table where everyone is already seated, greeting them. When the first round of drinks is brought around, I notice that my drink is already there and I nod at Tobias in thanks.

Myra, Matthew and Nita are talking about bad dates and dating experiences. Drew and Molly are talking to each other about god knows what but no one really wants to interrupt them. Emily is off on another tangent, talking to Tobias about Midsummer night's dream and Hamlet, the two striking a debate about which one is better. Emily is her usual cheery self and Tobias looks relaxed too.

Emily seems to suddenly stops talking all of a sudden and Tobias teases her, "What? Finally admit Hamlet is better?"

"N-no, what is that?", she asks gesturing to his soulmate tattoo, which is now clearly visible because Tobias has his sleeves rolled up. Emily sounds more surprised than scared. I look to where my own concealed soulmate tattoo lies, thankful that Emily doesn't know about it.

"It's my soulmate tattoo", replies Tobias.

I see Myra look at me, she knows I have a soulmate tattoo too. I know that she has also noticed that I have kept my tattoo concealed lately because I have seen her staring at my arm a few times, just like she is now. I know it won't be long until she connects the dots, considering how few people have soulmates now. The others are still busy with whatever they were talking about so they miss the exchange.

"Oh my god, that's wonderful, so what is your soulmate like?" asks Emily, back to her usual personality in a flash.

"I wouldn't say it's all that wonderful" I flinch, "considering how I drove her away at the start because of the fact that she is my soulmate. I do have to say though that I am incredibly lucky to have her as my soulmate. She is the best person on earth, she is selfless, brave, intelligent and beautiful", Tobias says surprising me, I didn't expect him to answer, he usually deflects such questions.

I am touched at his words and am reminded of the day in his apartment less than a month ago when he told me about his parents, he spoke similar words to me then.

The rest of the time is spent with fun conversations and Myra and Molly even get Nita to play a drinking game with them, which gets her drunk as a skunk by the time we are about to leave.

The rest of the team heads home, Matthew and Emily helping Myra get home, Molly and Drew having disappeared a while ago. Four and I walk Nita to a taxi to send her home too.

"F-fourrr", she says, slurring her words,"I want you to want me to want you to kiss me againnn, just like that night."

I am left speechless. I was suspecting Nita to be the same woman as the brunette I found Tobias kissing that day but I am still shocked to hear it. It hurts a lot more knowing that Tobias didn't just kiss a random girl that day but someone he knew and that even after the two of us met he still didn't tell me that himself.

Tobias freezes up too, a guilty look on his face directed my way, "I am sorry, I didn't tell you about this sooner. About Nita. I really wanted to but I just didn't know how."

I don't know how to reply to that right now so I just nod at Tobias and hail a cab for Nita and help her in.

"She is too drunk to get home by herself. I will go with her, you should go home", I tell Tobias, leaving him on the sidewalk alone.

I ask Nita her address and after a couple of tries I get one. She seems out of it now, staring out of the window. I am not jealous of her, not really, I feel sorry for her. She seems like a smart, independent, attractive woman who could have anything she wanted but she chooses to hide herself under a face of makeup and has unrequited feelings for Tobias, that much was clear after almost a week of working with them. I am upset but that has nothing to do with her and is mostly because of Tobias and myself.

The cab ride is short and soon we are at Nita's apartment, I help her into bed and place the pills for her hangover and water on her nightstand. I wouldn't have thought yesterday that I would be doing something like this for her but here I am. _The universe really does work in strange ways._

**Please review. Until next time :)**


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